Tag: nw

APP-NW Reaches First Fundraising Goal at Actors Happy Hour!

Actors Happy Hour! on Tuesday, May 19, at Mother’s Bistro, was a rousing success on all fronts, given that APP-NW had an ambitious agenda for the evening. As you know, Actors Happy Hour! always features a conversation on a topic of interest to our members and this month the topic was OPIF/iOPIF, Oregon’s film incentive programs. Before that conversation started, however, APP-NW gave a report on its efforts to acquire true, 501(c)3, not-for-profit status. More about that in paragraph six!

Nathaniel Applefield of OMPA gave a great report on the current status of legislation in Salem to improve and extend the Oregon Production Incentive Program and the Indiginious Production Incentive Program. Applefield gave us a comprehensive explanation of how the programs work and how they are designed to grow. He pointed out that Oregon’s plan is to control the growth of the program to match the growth and training of Oregonians to fill the jobs on OPIF projects. Nathaniel noted that other states with much larger incentive packages and/or no caps on the number of projects are finding that their infrastructure does not keep pace and usually have to import crew and other personnel.

Applefield emphasized the overarching goal of this year’s legislative push was to extend the sunset of the program to 2024 and to increase the overall pot of funds available for the tax credits. He urged all in the community to contact their state legislators with their own personal stories of what our industry means to them and how their lives are affected by the availability of work right here at home.

Tim Williams, Executive Director of Oregon Film, was also on hand to give his perspective on the bright future of the Oregon film industry. We were honored he was able to take the time to join us.

To round out the discussion of OPIF/iOPIF 2015, Lara Cuddy of Reverie Films shared her experiences with the programs from the producer’s prospective. As one member pointed out, the more our performers know about the whole process of getting a project made the better able we will be to make a meaningful contribution to that project’s success. It’s rare that we as performers have a window on what goes into putting a project together, so Lara’s remarks were eagerly received.

But the biggest surprise of the evening came as Nathaniel Applefield led an impromptu “paddle raiser” to collect cash and pledges to fund APP-NW’s filing fees to acquire 501(c)3 status. His enthusiasm put us well over the top and we will be filing the paperwork – with the required fee – very soon! At the top of the evening, APP-NW presented a progress report on its efforts to become a real, “grown up” organization. Paperwork had already been completed to register as a non-profit corporation with Oregon and to get a Federal Tax ID Number (EIN). The last step of the process was filing for 501(c)3 status, which required a substantial fee. We anticipated collecting the money at AHH! over the next few months. We were surprised, delighted and humbled at the level of commitment and support shown us on Tuesday as we more than met our goal and our total filing fees for the entire process are more than covered.

Achieving 503(c)3 status does a number of things for APP-NW. First, it makes the organization the responsible party, rather than an individual. The generous soul who had been lending his Social Security Number to the organization has heaved a huge sigh of relief! But most important, APP-NW will be able to solicit tax deductible donations that will allow us to go forward with our plans to increase the number and complexity of the educational and training opportunities for our professional performer community. After all, in addition to creating work-place standards, APP-NW exists to improve and increase the level of professionalism in our community.

Singer Cyndi Lauper said her father told her: “Da more ya loin, da more ya oin!” (learn/earn – for those who don’t speak Queens, NY) That’s our philosophy here at APP-NW, too. Come learn with us. The sky’s the limit.

The APP-NW movement is growing, but there’s still plenty of work to do. Our members play an active role in improving and increasing the level of professionalism within our industry and protecting performers through the establishment of workplace standards – and they do that by asking one simple question when considering a new project:

We want to let our members know just how much progress their efforts have brought about – and we want to give performers who may now know what APP-NW is all about the chance to find out more about the movement!

Join us on Tuesday, February 17 from 6 – 9 PM for APP-NW’s 2015 Annual Meeting!

Find out more about the movement

Learn how APP-NW has helped to change the Northwest market in the past year

The 2015 Annual Meeting will be held at Wine Up on Williams – 3037 N Williams Ave., Portland OR 97227

6:00 Social meet-and-greet with complimentary hors douvres and “no-host” bar

6:30 Business commences

But wait – what about#ActorsHappyHour? There’s a reason our Annual Meeting is being held at Wine Up on Williams this year. We know you look forward to the third Tuesday of the month so you can meet up with your fellow performers and get caught up on all that’s happening in your lives and the industry – Wine Up is happy to host APP-NW members for the rest of the evening after the meeting’s business concludes! They promise not to kick us out until at least 9:00 PM!

We hope you’ll join us on February 17 to find out more about APP-NW and what it’s done for Northwest performers over the past year – and what we plan to do in the coming year. We can’t do it without you, so please RSVP at our Facebook page and let us know you’ll be attending!

It’s YOUR organization, Northwest performers – vote for who you think should lead it!

APP-NW Members, the time has finally arrived to vote for your 2015 Board of Directors.

As our market changes, we need a Board of Directors who can help guide the Alliance of Professional Performers in fulfilling its mission throughout the coming year. The candidates below are volunteering their time to build a stronger Northwest entertainment industry that is fair and equitable for everyone who works in it!

The APP-NW bylaws stipulate that

The Board shall consist of not less thanfive (5) and not more than nine (9) members of The Organization, and

The Board will, at all times, be composed of an odd number of members. These members will consist of an even number of not-Union performers and members-in-good-standing of the extant performer’s Union(s), with an additional member of either status.

So, with that in mind APP-NW members, meet your candidates for the Alliance of Professional Performers NW Board of Directors:

I currently serve on the APP-NW Board of Directors and chair the Outreach Committee.

I began working with APP-NW because the goal of raising the professionalism in our industry strongly resonated with me. I felt I could be of service when building up this amazing community and wanted to be on the ground floor of the movement. So much has been accomplished over the past couple years and so much more still to do. I look forward to all the changes and challenges to come.

Lorelei Kennedy, not-union

Portland often asks for much time and energy from it’s performers for little to no pay and it’s an unfair question. The answer, however, is simply to be a part of a movement that creates time and space for artists to thrive and be compensated not only fairly, but consistently.

As a candidate I bring over 15 years practical business and financial experience combined with 25 years theatre experience; I understand the best, and the not-so-best, parts of each world and would like to put it to use in the community to further the mission of APP-NW.

I fully support the important, on-going work of APP-NW to improve professionalism and workplace standards, which will, in turn, improve the quality of our work. These goals will also be aided by a strong, connected community.

Our community is both stronger than most and still disparate. I believe that APP-NW has the potential to be a hub – primarily focused on professionalism and standards – that brings people together. Union and non-union, experienced and novice, tea drinker and coffee drinker for productive conversation and action.

I currently serve on the APP-NW Board of Directors as the not-union Co-Chair.

I began working with APP-NW mainly because I saw it as an opportunity to help others have a voice and raise the standards of our industry. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this movement that has accomplished so much building a stronger community.

Raising awareness and increasing the membership are two areas that I believe would strengthen APP-NW. Once actors see the benefits of Membership, they will spread the word within their community. Monthly meetings featuring guest speakers, agents, acting teachers, casting directors, producers and writers would boost attendance and encourage new members, and encourage current members to become more involved and bring fellow actors to meetings.

Safe working conditions and mutual respect for all in our community should be emphasized and encouraged starting at the Film Schools.

I currently serve on the APP-NW Board of Directors as the Union Co-Chair.

It would be my honor to continue to serve on the APP-NW board of directors. The goal of APP couldn’t be simpler or more important: Bringing all performers together to foster a standard of working conditions across the community to support the highest quality work. Performers work hard for producers who care enough to provide safe and comfortable working conditions. Producers work hard to provide safe and comfortable working conditions for performers who give them their best work and who stand together to uphold those standards.

As a founding member of APP-NW and a past vice-president and board member of the Oregon Production Media Association, having founded and co-chaired its Talent Committee, I believe I can bring a community voice to the board of APP-NW. Both as an actor and as a working producer, currently both developing a television mini-series in Los Angeles and bringing an I-OPIF funded feature film sequel to Oregon, I will enjoy working as a liaison between actors and preferred producers, building strong alliances across the gamut of our craft.

Performers who are members of the Alliance of Professional Performers NW are eligible to vote online for the organization’s Board of Directors. In order to vote performers will need to enter a special code which will be emailed to them. Performers who do not receive this special code by 8:00 PM on February 10th, 2015 should contact the Elections Committee by sending an email to elections@app-nw.org.

On Tuesday January 20 president Barack Obama will give the US Congress, and the nation, his State of the Union address. This yearly ritual, full of pomp-and-circumstance, isn’t just a chance to report on how things have gone in the past year – it’s a chance for the president to announce bold new initiatives and goals for the future in an effort to move the country forward.

You may not have thought about it, but we professional performers have a similar ritual at the beginning of each year – we look back on what’s worked (and what hasn’t) in the previous year, and we set goals for the coming year that will move our lives and careers forward! We don’t generally announce these goals in front of national television and a joint session of Congress – but we know that keeping these goals to ourselves can sometimes “let us off the hook…” sharing our goals with others help us to solidify them in our minds – and even helps to keep us accountable to ourselves.

So, NW performers, we’re asking you to share YOUR 2015 state of the union with us at the first #ActorsHappyHour of the year at a new location: Wine Up on Williams in at 3037 N Williams St. in North Portland. Join us from 6 – 9 pm on Tuesday January 20 and let us know how you’re going to build on the successes you shared with us in November!

The president’s State of the Union speech will be playing on the televisions upstairs, in case you need inspiration, and Wine Up on Williams has prepared a special happy hour menu for APP-NW members (remember to wear your APP-NW pins, or get them at the door!) After the speech, join us downstairs in Wine Up’s special event room and tell us how you plan to move your career forward in 2015!

We’ll also be raffling off some tools to help start your year off right, including

One hour of free tax consultation from The Bookkeeping Company – a Bookkeeping and tax service that “gets” the special needs of performers

An Actor’s Holdon Log – the perfect “paperware” tool from the makers of PerformerTrack to help you track your auditions, callbacks and bookings in the year to come!

Don’t forget, raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 7 for $5.00 – and if you bring a performer who’s never attended an #ACTORSHAPPYHOUR we will give you a free ticket for the raffle!

Please RSVP at our Facebook page so we know you’re coming – and be sure to share this post with every actor on your list! We’d love to give you a free raffle ticket – and we’d love to hear your goals for the coming year!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE APP-NW BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

2014 has been an amazing year for APP-NW and for actors throughout the Northwest!

Every time a producer joins our list of Preferred Producers, someone asks if a production will adhere to APP-NW Standards before accepting a job, or a performer stands up for his or her fellow performers in the workplace… AN ANGEL GETS ITS WINGS!

We’re proud to have played a part in improving and increasing the level of professionalism in our industry – and we’re looking forward to keeping that ball rolling in the new year!

Enjoy the holidays, Northwest performers. Celebrate your successes from the past year (we know you’ve had them,) and start thinking of your goals for the year to come… we’re looking forward to seeing you in 2015!

If you’re thinking of starting the new year off right by running for the Alliance of Professional Performers – NW Board of Directors and making a difference for performers in the Northwest’s growing entertainment industry, we’d love to see you at our final Open Board Meeting of 2014 on Monday December 8!

Board meetings aren’t formal affairs – you don’t have to worry about putting on your ties or fancy shoes. These meetings are generally held from 6:00 – 8:00 PM (though members are encouraged to arrive a half-hour earlyso they can get re-connected and perhaps grab a bite to eat at the meeting location.)

To find out more about the meeting and its location send an email to elections@app-nw.org (and please put “open Board meeting” to the subject line.)

Can’t make it to Monday’s Board Meeting? We’d still love you to declare your candidacy (or nominate someone else for the Board) by sending an email to elections@app-nw.org no later than December 31, 2014 (please put “Election 2015″ in the subject line.) Remember –

Nominations must be accepted by January 15, 2015.

Once candidacy for the Board has been officially accepted, a candidate statement is due by January 31, 2015 (to see examples of previous candidate statements, take a look at last year’s candidates for the Board.)

Candidates will be announced to the membership no less than 14 days before APP-NW’s General Meeting in February (date and location TBA.)

We need your energy and ideas to keep APP-NW growing – and we want you to know what’s involved with serving on the APP-NW Board and its committees. Please make plans to join us Monday December 8!

The Librarians promises laughs, adventure and great special effects as a secret society of Librarians battle supernatural baddies to keep us all safe. And The Morrison Hotel Bar promises good food and drink for the price of, well, good food and drink!

*** To be entered to win a door prize, bring a non-perishable food item for the Oregon Food Bank! ***

The holidays are upon us, NW performers, and it’s time to celebrate! Of course, celebrating the holidays can be a challenge for professional performers – while everyone else is out reveling, we’re often hard at work entertaining those holiday revelers!

In the middle of the Victorian age, Americans flocked to church halls, theatres and auditoriums to hear Charles Dickens give a dramatic, solo rendition of his classic holiday tale, A Christmas Carol.

Thom Bray recreates Dickens’ solo performance in the tenth annual production of A Christmas Carol at The Old Church, itself a late Victorian landmark. Working from the text of the author’s original reading copy, Bray faithfully re-creates the theatrical experience that Dickens’ Victorian audiences had!

The Oregonian said of Bray’s performance, “No ghostly apparitions floating down from the fly space or up from a trap door. No street-scene crowds or wooden crutches. Just a room, a text, a voice and the audience’s imagination.” (Bob Hicks, Oregonian, December 17, 2005.)

“Dickens was a frustrated actor, and quite good, from all reports,” says Bray, who will climb into full Victorian evening dress for the performances. “He loved performing this piece, and his audiences adored seeing him play all the parts.”

The piece requires the audience’s imagination. “That’s what I love about it,” says Bray. “Sure, a big lavish production is nice, but by going back to the way the author first shared his favorite work with audiences, magic happens.”

As a professional performer himself, Thom knows how important it is for performers to be treated well in their workplaces. Because he supports The Alliance of Professional Performers – NW’s mission, a portion of the tickets you purchase from PDXChristmas.com (or by phone at 1-800-838-3006 – ask for event #892695) using discount code APP will be donated back to APP-NW so we can continue our work in the new year!

The holidays are a time for people to come together – and performers coming together is just what APP-NW is all about! So take a moment out of your busy holiday schedules, NW performers, and join your fellow performers at a theatrical experience you won’t forget! You’ll be helping The Alliance of Professional Performers – NW, and you’ll be giving yourself a chance to take part in the holiday festivities… before you get back on stage or in front of the cameras to bring the holidays to other people!

It’s been a great year, Northwest actors – and we want to hear about the successes you’re giving thanks for at the final Actors Happy Hour of the year!

In January, we asked you what your goals for the coming year were… well, it’s time to look back at the “year that’s been” and see if 2014 matched – or surpassed – your expectations! Join us downtown at Cassidy’s Restaurant on Tuesday, November 18 from 6 – 9 PM and share your success stories from 2014 – did you make connections with important industry players? Did you spread the word about APP-NW‘s professional standards, and help your fellow performers do their best work on professional sets in the Northwest and elsewhere? Did you reach a new career milestone, or help someone else build a stronger career? Maybe your year went in an entirely unexpected direction, and you had to re-assess those goals you made back in January – what ever happened, we want to hear all about it!

Be sure to wear your APP-NW pins (or get them at the door) and expect some fine food and drink while we have a lively discussion… and do remember to bring a few extra dollars for our monthly raffle, where we give you the chance to win prizes that can help build your professional career like:

An Actor’s Holdon Log – the perfect gift for a professional performer in your life (or maybe for yourself!)

Don’t forget, raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 7 for $5.00 – and if you bring a performer who’s never attended an #ACTORSHAPPYHOUR we will give you a free ticket for the raffle!

Parking at Cassidy’s might require some pre-planning; we recommend that you take public transportation if you can, park at the SmartPark on 10th Ave, or leave plenty of time to look for metered parking.

As mentioned above, this will be our final #ActorsHappyHour of 2014 – but don’t you worry, we’ll be back after the holidays! Be sure you’ve subscribed to our mailing list so you’re among the first to hear about our next #ActorsHappyHour location in January 2015!

Please RSVP at our Facebook page so we know you’re coming – and be sure to share this post with every film and TV worker on your list… we’d love to give you a free raffle ticket AND get a big group together to celebrate YOU! We’re looking forward to seeing you next TUESDAY!

Well, we wanted to remind you that there’s ANOTHER election coming up – and we need you to participate! If you’re thinking of running for the Alliance of Professional Performers – NW Board of Directors so you can make a difference for performers in the Northwest’s growing entertainment industry, we’d love to see you at our first Open Board Meeting of 2014!

We need your energy and ideas to keep APP-NW growing – and we want you to know what’s involved with serving on the APP-NW Board and its committees. Please make plans to join us Monday November 10!

Board meetings aren’t formal affairs – you don’t have to worry about putting on your ties or fancy shoes. These meetings are generally held from 6:00 – 8:00 PM (though members are encouraged to arrive a half-hour earlyso they can get re-connected and perhaps grab a bite to eat at the meeting location.)

To find out more about the meeting and its location send an email to elections@app-nw.org (and please put “open Board meeting” to the subject line.)